Characteristics of sheep-rumen isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa inhibitory to the growth of Escherichia coli O157

Screening facultative sheep-rumen bacteria which inhibit growth of Escheric hia coil produced 11 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The isolates showed three different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and strains from different sheep produced pyocins that varied in strain specificity. Repres entative strains were resistant to ampicillin, methicillin, erythromycin, f usidic acid and augmentin, but not to tetracycline or nalidixic acid. Teste d strains attached in large numbers to cultured rumen epithelial cells, pot entially providing a means of survival in this ecosystem. (C) 1999 Federati on of European Microbiology societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. A ll rights reserved.